'Apollo 18'

'Apollo 18'

Dimension Films

Like "Battle: Los Angeles," "Apollo 18" takes a historical event and twists it a bit, in effect positing that if you thought these were just UFO thrillers, you had better check the history books. In February 1942, Angelenos woke to air raid sirens and a city blackout. At first, residents thought the city was under attack. For nearly an hour anti-aircraft shells were fired at reported aircraft. However, the next morning, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox told the press it was a false alarm. Just "war nerves," he said. The press and the people didn't buy it and rumors of a coverup ensued. Some even believed the alleged aircraft were really unidentified flying objects. "Battle Los Angeles" stretches the theory, weaving a fictional tale about a world under alien attack while L.A. becomes the last stand for mankind. And now comes "Apollo 18," which, through the promotional material released so far, suggests that someone has found "classified footage" of a secret space mission. The film's effectiveness has yet to be judged, but, of course, this isn't the first time Hollywood has dealt with extraterrestrial contact. Let's look back at more big screen encounters with UFOs, aliens and the otherworldly. -- Emily Christianson and Jevon Phillips

Like "Battle: Los Angeles," "Apollo 18" takes a historical event and twists it a bit, in effect positing that if you thought these were just UFO thrillers, you had better check the history books. In February 1942, Angelenos woke to air raid sirens and a city blackout. At first, residents thought the city was under attack. For nearly an hour anti-aircraft shells were fired at reported aircraft. However, the next morning, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox told the press it was a false alarm. Just "war nerves," he said. The press and the people didn't buy it and rumors of a coverup ensued. Some even believed the alleged aircraft were really unidentified flying objects. "Battle Los Angeles" stretches the theory, weaving a fictional tale about a world under alien attack while L.A. becomes the last stand for mankind. And now comes "Apollo 18," which, through the promotional material released so far, suggests that someone has found "classified footage" of a secret space mission. The film's effectiveness has yet to be judged, but, of course, this isn't the first time Hollywood has dealt with extraterrestrial contact. Let's look back at more big screen encounters with UFOs, aliens and the otherworldly. -- Emily Christianson and Jevon Phillips (Dimension Films)

Like "Battle: Los Angeles," "Apollo 18" takes a historical event and twists it a bit, in effect positing that if you thought these were just UFO thrillers, you had better check the history books. In February 1942, Angelenos woke to air raid sirens and a city blackout. At first, residents thought the city was under attack. For nearly an hour anti-aircraft shells were fired at reported aircraft. However, the next morning, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox told the press it was a false alarm. Just "war nerves," he said. The press and the people didn't buy it and rumors of a coverup ensued. Some even believed the alleged aircraft were really unidentified flying objects. "Battle Los Angeles" stretches the theory, weaving a fictional tale about a world under alien attack while L.A. becomes the last stand for mankind. And now comes "Apollo 18," which, through the promotional material released so far, suggests that someone has found "classified footage" of a secret space mission. The film's effectiveness has yet to be judged, but, of course, this isn't the first time Hollywood has dealt with extraterrestrial contact. Let's look back at more big screen encounters with UFOs, aliens and the otherworldly. -- Emily Christianson and Jevon Phillips